Lora of Two Worlds

The street outside the guest house was lined with shops, you'd think you were in a ward of Augustburg or Lohenheim.

Two tall men with high-bridged noses and deep-set eyes passed them. Lora felt they looked familiar. She whispered to Lyle:

"Did you see those two? Have we met them somewhere?"

Lyle glanced back: "Never seen them. Maybe they look a bit like Norton, that's why you think they're familiar."

Norton? Maybe a little.

"My lady!"

A voice behind them, familiar. Oh no, she'd forgotten someone. Linnie had wanted to go shopping. Lora had told her to wait in the guest house lobby.

"Why didn't you call me? I was about to wait forever." In a strange city, Linnie didn't dare wander alone. Lora always had escorts.

Lora thought: We might need to go to the boats soon. Leon probably means to give Linnie to this Sheffield, a man who likes his pleasures. Can't lose her.

She smiled: "My memory, I was talking and forgot to call you. Come on, let's shop."

"Good! If I walked alone, I'd get lost."

Linnie had been born in Jaxham. Her adoptive uncle had found her a place there. The farthest she'd ever been was Watchford. She'd never even been to Weybrook's capital.

She leaned close to Lora's ear:

"Back in the lobby, two golden-haired, blue-eyed foreigners bowed to me! People here are so polite! You're right, what's the point of going to court? Being a marcher duke's wife here would be fine."

Tsk tsk. Sorry, Linnie. I won't tell you: marcher dukes are never young men. And they worry about being murdered by their own guards.

But... Sheffield had held on for several years. Better than the rebel.

Better to let you sabotage Yorvik's stability than let you sabotage the King.

Lora smiled: "You're the prettiest girl in the north. Bat those eyelashes, what can't you manage? Once doesn't work? Try twice!"

"That's what I think! That's a woman's advantage... I just don't know how to meet this lord warden. Should I ask my godfather? Would he think I'm fickle?"

"No. You've never even seen the King's face. How's it fickle?" Lora beamed: You're just flighty.

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They chattered and giggled. Shawn spotted a jewelry house, a flag over the door with the character "Salt."

"My lady, wait. Let me go in first."

As Shawn entered, two men walked out. They brushed past him. Under the tree, Lora pulled Lyle around: "Don't move!"

The two men walked past, talking. This time Lyle recognized one. His jaw dropped:

"That's Cedric Salt! He's here too!"

"Something's wrong. In Lohenheim he buys loyalty. And now in Yorvik... Lyle, let's follow him. See where he goes." Lora gathered her skirts.

Lyle stopped her: "You stay. I'm enough. You go buy the beads. Wait here for me." He set off after Cedric Salt's retreating back.

Linnie, puzzled: "Who were you talking about? Where did he go?"

"A man who owes my brother money. We've been looking for him for ages, turns out he's hiding here." Lora improvised.

Shawn came out, looked around: "My lady, they've your gold beads inside. Where's Lyle?"

"Chasing a debtor. Let's look at the beads. Linnie, pick something you like. It's my treat."

I'm not being generous for nothing.

"Really? A jewelry house, won't that cost a lot?" Linnie's mouth said one thing. Her eyes were already roaming the cases.

"Shopkeeper, I'd like to buy gold beads."

"For jewelry? I have three patterns. Take your pick." The shopkeeper brought out a flat wooden case. Four compartments. Three held beads, same size, different patterns.

"Beautiful. Made in your own shop?" Lora's pale fingers touched the beads.

"Our own stock. Solid gold. Not many buyers, most prefer gilded copper for jewelry. But you look like a young lady of means, not an ordinary customer."

"No wonder you're prosperous, you know how to flatter. Shopkeeper, bring out some complete sets for my sister here to choose. She's beautiful, bring pieces worthy of her."

The shopkeeper had noticed Linnie browsing. She didn't look wealthy. A full gold set, even comfortable families could only afford one, for a wedding, passed down as an heirloom.

But the bead-buyer was paying? His heart leaped. He brought out mid-range and high-end sets.

Lora examined the beads. Brendan's matched one pattern exactly. She said, casually:

"Your beads would sell well in the capitals. The ladies there love tremblant hairpins. These beads would be perfect on them."

The shopkeeper nodded: "Indeed, the capitals have many noble ladies, and the demand for jewelry is high. We've a shop there too, called 'Yanjin Jewelry.'"

Yanjin Jewelry, "Swallow Gold"?

The old tale of the king who built a golden terrace to recruit worthy men... High ambitions indeed.

While they talked, Lora picked twelve gold beads. Linnie excitedly chose a set: a gold comb, a pair of gold pins, a pair of gold hairpieces.

Lora asked: "Shopkeeper, I need to exchange a gold ingot for copper. Is there a bank nearby?"

"No need to look, I'm a bank." The shopkeeper laughed. His assistant began packing Linnie's set.

Lora drew out a gold ingot: "You call it a jewelry house, but you don't stock much jewelry. You mainly run a bank, don't you?"

The shopkeeper, in a good mood from the sale, chatted freely:

"You have a sharp eye. We do mainly banking. The jewelry is a front. The owner doesn't care about selling it."

Did she need a sharp eye for this?

A blind person could see it. In all this time, not a single other customer.

The high shelves in the back were dusty. Northern women preferred silver, the gold sets sat unsold for ages. No wonder the shopkeeper was thrilled.

And those gold beads, probably no one bought them either. Cedric Salt must have taken them to give away as favors.

Everything bought. But Lyle hadn't come back.

They'd left the boats after noon. It was nearly dusk.

"Could something have happened?" Shawn craned his neck.

"Pah, pah! Knock on wood!" Lora scolded.

Shawn was about to actually spit when Lyle came running.

The tension on his face, Lora had never seen it on this eternal optimist. He gritted his teeth:

"My lady, something's happened!"

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